#canteven
She felt the rain pouring down all around her, felt it hit her with cold water, drenching her hair. She looked dully at the spot where Yamamoto used to stand, where she had last seen his huge grin as he had taken the hit for her. I never got to tell him… how I felt. The rain was cold, it wasn't like Takeshi's warm rain and his smile and his laugh-
A sob wrenched itself from her throat, and she bent over, shoulders shaking, knees pressing into the hard cement where puddles surrounded her. Remnants of the battle.
"Y-Yamam-moto, you i-idiot," she sobbed, the tears coming so hard she couldn't see
anything clearly, "I-I was s-s-supposed to take that l-last h-hit, n-not you…" He had turned to her and smiled one last time, his eyes sparkling with an emotion she didn't want to name, and then the light hit him and he had disappeared along with the enemy.
"Hey, that's not very nice," a quiet voice said from in front of her. Lapis' eyes flew open and she looked up at the person standing before her.
His form was easily recognizable, but not normal. Takeshi Yamamoto's shimmering form was made entirely out of water, the only physically solid thing the Vongola ring on his liquid finger. His hand reached down to take hers, pulling her up to stand. His hand was solid.. but not.
"Yamamoto?" she whispered, voice hoarse.
"I can only stay for a minute," he said back, looking into her face. "The Vongola ring is keeping me here… to say goodbye." It was his voice.
Goodbye. Lapis' lip quivered, but she forced the tears back. "Goodbye.. forever?"
Even though there was only the outline of his face in the watery form, she could see his sad smile. "No. I'll come back. I'll come back to you. I don't know when, but Lapis… I promise."
"Yamamoto," she said, but then stopped, not knowing what to say. Back to me? Not to his friends but… to me?
"You know," he said, "you can call me Takeshi. We've- known- each other for long enough that I think- it'd be okay."
Through her watery eyes, Lapis squinted. Was he- blushing? "O-okay, Takeshi," she whispered, feeling a flush in her cheeks in response.
There were a few seconds of silence as the rain fell around them. Lapis tangled her fingers together and then put her hands by her sides, not knowing what to say. There's so much-
Takeshi grimaced. "I've got to go. Lapis, I just want you to know that I don't regret any of it." Her wide blue eyes met his translucent ones.
"None of it?" she asked disbelievingly. "Takeshi, you don't even have a corporeal form!"
"Nope," he said, smiling. "I don't regret any of it… because I got to meet you." Lapis' expression froze. "Thanks for being here."
"Takeshi, I-"
"Close your eyes." He doesn't want me to see him disapearing again? Lapis took in his crinkled eyes, annoyingly spiky hair, and warm smile one last time.
"Okay," she whispered. "I won't watch you disa-"
Water pressed against her lips, and for a second Lapis stood completely still as she realized very clearly that Takeshi was kissing her. Something dropped into her hand and the pressure on her lips disappeared.
"I love you, Lapis."
When she opened her eyes, Takeshi was gone.
Looking down at her hand, she lifted up the Vongola ring he had dropped into her hand. "I love you too," she whispered.